Mirrorstuck
by Grindark
Summary: You reach out and touch it, expecting the sensation of cold glass against your fingertip. The surface ripples and shimmers. You step back with a cry of surprise, staring first at your hand, then at the mirror in turn. Had you just imagined that? The mirror hadn't just rippled like water, had it?
1. Dave: Leave the Debris

**Chapter I  
**

* * *

**= Dave: Leave the Debris** =**  
**

* * *

Blood trickled down, pooling about the floor.

It was like a fucking swamp of blood, and you had made it.

You flick the crimson liquid off of your arm in disgust.

Dancing around death, it was as easy as baking worm-infested pie as you boogied to indie music.

You step away from the curled up corpse, raising your head and exhaling. There were other places to be. This one hadn't revealed any further information.

Familiar pain blossoms in your shoulder blades and you grit your teeth and ball your hands into fists. You fight past it, not letting the damned agony train go screeching on by with you as the passenger. You'd already went through this enough times to know how to deal with it. A breath, a closing of eyes, and it was gone.

You turn and walk away, your shoes splashing through the mess that you had created.

It was disgusting. But, that was how the circle of fucking life went. You'd be the shaded killer and the pack of hyenas would bow and shake, waiting to be ripped apart and left for dead.

'_Dave!' _Another familiarity echoes but, this time, it was resounding in your head. _'Dave, can you hear me?'_

'_Sup, Jade?' _

As soon as your silent response reaches her, a flood of relief comes flowing through your connection like an overfull river. _'Oh, good! I thought – No, never mind. Um, we got trouble.'_

You quirk a brow. _'We got winged monkeys on our tail?'_

A quick flash of Jade's amusement patters down over your mental link. _'No, uh, Hephaestus' sleep was disturbed; he's waking up.'_

'_Oh goodie. Is a race to the great and almighty fire-breather, needed?'_

'_No, no, it's just…' _An audible sigh flutters through your mind from her end. _'It – it's like there's something bothering him. … There's something wrong anyway. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is but, it disturbed him from his slumber.'_

You side-step a pool of blood. _'Must be something related in some way to the Horrorterrors to have the grand wyrm rising from his sleep.'_

'_That's the thing – it isn't.'_

'_Oh?' _You head over to the door, kicking it open and slipping through the gap just as the splintered wood comes crashing back against its hinges.

'_It's like… a feeling, a weird one.'_

'_Weird as in: whoa, is that wall talking to me? Or, goddamn that egg has a weird face, it looks like Bob Marley.'_

You can just picture her snorting and trying her best not to laugh. _'Noo, neither. It's – it's like – well, an uncomfortable vibe. That's all I can really describe it as. It's kinda hard, seeing as how I can't really put my finger on what it is properly.'_

'_Yo, I get it. So, what, you want me to keep an eye out for a weird egg-faced anomaly?'_

'_Uh, something like that.'_

'_Will do. Got shit to take care of so, ollie outin'.'_

'_Seeya later, cool-dude.'_

You can feel the connection between you weaken, and then phase out altogether.

"Weird vibe, huh?" you mutter. "As if that will be easy to spot out from a mile off."

Well, she is a witch. Maybe she could just throw herself into a connection with you later, if you were to stumble across this weird factor. It… intrigued you but, not by much. There were other things you needed to take care of first.

Turning away from the house, you shove your hands into your pockets and begin the journey back across the empty field of blue grass. Afternoon was just rolling around, so there'd be plenty of time to just meander about before setting off on the long walk through midnight-estate. You preferred to travel by dark. The dawn and midday ruined any kind of surprise attack you might have in stock for those unaware.

Not that you were constantly in strife mode. It didn't really suit you. Bro was more for that. But, he wasn't here. You'd be goddamn taken by surprise if he did somehow magically turn up, like 'Yo, got stuck in ghostly traffic, they were taking up all the road' or something like that. You wouldn't put it past him.

A cold breeze is settling in, the distant shrieks alerting you to the possibility of encountering a group of things that weren't all that intelligent, yet were still in the clear for being totally annoying. They would take too much time up. You would rather steer clear of them. And so, you change course, leaving the blood-stained house with its short-stack of a garden far behind you, taking to the undergrowth, where crystallized trees and bushes reigned supreme instead.

Those stupid storks of air would never be able to reach you in such a green-filled environment, well, bluish green… Orangy yellow, whatever. There are lots of colours here, too many to bother pointing out in one sitting. You decide to relax a bit, striding over to casually sit down beneath the dimming shadow of a particularly large tree. You have to admit, their bark's a bit uncomfortable to lean against but, it's better than flopping down amongst extra uncomfortable crystallized grass. That always sucked.

You sigh, glancing up to the sky above. How long will it take before the sun decides it's had enough of dancing around in the sky? It needs to get its sleeping cap on and go the fuck to sleep already.

You rest your head against the trunk of the tree, shifting a little to try to get as comfortable as possible. It's nearly impossible considering that bits of the bark are already poking you in the back but, you soon find the most comfy position that you'll ever have the second chance of getting. So, you just stick with it.

As you rest, you retrieve your sword from its confines in your Xedallys. You wipe off the rest of the blood staining it with a rolled up sleeve, then streak that crimson liquid across the crystal ground. It wasn't like anyone really needed it now anyway.

You turn the sword over in your grasp, checking it for any signs of scratches, or wears-and-tears. The metal reflects your face back to you and, just for a moment, you catch the sight of something made of shadows staring back at you. You blink; it vanishes. "All aboard the crazy train," you murmur turning it over again. You captchalogue it soon after, tilting one corner of your lip downwards in thought.

What would be the best course of action from here on out? Travel around the shrieking air-balloons that circle above the typically traveled path now, or rest first? The former seemed more appealing. You doubt you'd be able to sleep through crunches of earth and leaves and the uncomfortable backrest you were currently leaning against.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the sun to set.


	2. John: Be Grumpy

**Chapter II  
**

* * *

= **John: Be Grumpy** =

* * *

You're mad. No, you're absolutely furious! Why does Dad always have to stop you from going out unsupervised? It wasn't as if you were thinking of going out anywhere dangerous! You were just going to go for a walk around the block! But, nope, no, he just keeps going on and on about how even that would be too perilous a task for his son alone! You snort, kicking your heels back again and again against the leg of your bed. You are perfectly capable of walking around on your own without being under the watchful eyes of your Dad, thank you very much!

You cross your arms with a huff, pouting. It wasn't as if you were going to go _that _far away, anyway.

And now Dad has you locked up in the house, leaving you to mope about and languish from the boredom. Well, you'd show him! He may have stopped you from absconding from the house but, he'd never be able to take away your freedom! You get to your feet in one fell swoop, raising your clenched fists up into the air in a triumphant way. You wouldn't be beat. You'll find a way out of this!

But first, you need some provisions. Equipment, as you will refer to them, for this expedition of stealthiness and creeping.

You're absolutely positive that Dad has just left, and you zip over to the window to double-check. Yup, he's gone off for some more cake mix or something just as equally bluh. You make a face; just thinking about any of those horrible baked goods makes you feel queasy.

Stepping back away from the window, you turn to face your magic chest of secrets. You walk over to it, crouching and pushing up the lid after releasing the latch. Inside you find all of your awesome pranking equipment; special tools for this all important stealth mission.

You scoop up an armful of them, avoiding Colonel Sassacre's Daunting Text of Magical Frivolity and Practical Japery for now. You could always consult with it later, though the text is a nightmare to skim through. Dumping your prized prankster collection on the floor, you sit down and begin to sift through them. The beagle puss glasses could be used as a disguise, though you don't know how long it would keep your Dad from recognizing you if he was to come back early (you approximate his shopping time to be around forty minutes, or so, yup, he usually takes his time when it comes to shopping for cake ingredients).

You have a pack of cards but, you don't think they'd work in any way shape or form, so you just leave them for now. Aha! Itching powder! That'd definitely be useful. Now, if only you had an exploding cigar… But, then again, Dad gave them up ages ago for a pipe. Although, you could always carefully remove the explosive chargey-thing and place it in his pipe, hehehe.

You captchalogue the itching powder, along with the beagle puss glasses. The stack fetchamacallit is kind of a difficult thing to use still, even after all of these months. You'd change it out for something else but, you're not sure how. Is it even possible? You don't know.

As the pair of items, no, your tools, are stored away, you quickly shove the rest of the things back in the magic chest. You look through the rest of your things in hopes of finding an exploding cigar but, you turn up with nothing.

Mentally listing that as a thing to get for pranking awesomeness at a later date, you straighten up and hurry over to the door.

Now begins the real adventure!

Which actually starts off kind of boring really. You just open the door and are now facing the hall, decorated with those dumb harle-clowns. You scurry down the stairs, keeping your ears strained for any familiar screechy sound of Dad's car returning.

As you make it to the front room, you find yourself facing something. Something odd.

A mirror.

It stands in the middle of the room facing the couch, silver and shiny; brand new. Has the old mirror broke or something? Why has Dad put it here?

Overcome by curiosity, you walk over to it, reaching out to poke the silver frame. It looks like it's decorated in flames and are those lion feet? It has lion feet.

You circle around it to look at the back, then turn back around to the front. The mirror looks kind of misted over. You can see your reflection in it clearly but, there was a sort of weirdness to it that made you look oddly ghost-like. You chuckle as Ghostbusters comes to mind. Wouldn't it be funny if your reflection turned into a Slimer-lookalike? But, it was just a mirror. Nothing magical about it at all.

You grin at your reflection, brushing some of your messy black hair away from your eyes, then pull a face at your mirror image. It copies you, sticking out its tongue and you laugh. You stop, however, when you catch the sight of something blurred and shadow-like behind your reflection. You glance behind you but, there's nothing there. Frowning, you look back at the mirror and step closer. What is that thing?

You squint at it. Whatever it is it still looks the same, even when you lean closer and stand on your tiptoes trying to make out what it is. You think to poke it.

You reach out and touch it, expecting the sensation of cold glass against your fingertip. The surface ripples and shimmers. You step back with a cry of surprise, staring first at your hand, then at the mirror in turn. Had you just imagined that? The mirror hadn't just rippled like water, had it? It was supposed to be solid, right?

You suddenly feel uneasy. This couldn't be right. But, you abruptly start battling it out with a heavy block of curiosity and intrigue. You poke the mirror again; the middle point of your reflection distorting with the shimmer. You pause and chew at your bottom lip in thought.

What would happen if you were to suddenly jump through it? Would you be spat back out here again? Would the mirror just solidify before you can jump through?

What would Dad think?

You breathe in deeply and let it out in one big puff of air. He's left you locked up in the house with only the harle-clown pictures and the ticking of a clock somewhere for company. And you're still mad at him. Revenge, sneak-stealth mode? Or an investigation of this thing that might possibly get rid of your building boredom?

Your brain cuts away that part of your mental sentence and displays it in large blocky letters in the front of your mind; get rid of your boredom. It was one of the most interesting and strangest of things you have ever come across. It is kind of odd how it's here and not upstairs but, your Dad was probably in a rush to get some of those horrible ingredients that helps to concoct the evil baked foodstuffs. A broad grin slowly crosses your face. You could hop in this odd portaly, shimmery thingy and Dad would never be the wiser.

Maybe it could get you out of the house!

"Hehehe, this is perfect!" you say aloud.

Before you have a chance to think it over some more, you're already stepping back and preparing to charge right in. You'll look like some kind of cool superhero or something. Without another thought, you rush forward and dive in; your thoughts on the shadow already forgotten in the excitement.


	3. Rose: Cease Meditating

**Chapter III  
**

* * *

**=Rose: Cease Meditating=  
**

* * *

The stacatto of rain against the roof is a constant familiarity. To some, the deluge may be considered to be a bad thing but, to you it is a reassurance. Without it you'd feel uncomfortable. It was possible that it was just to do with the fact that you have rarely ever had a day without it. Although, there was that individual detail that the droplets of rain did sound pleasing to the ears. Still, the mansion felt empty. Hollow, without the dissonant company of your Mother. But, there was little that could be done about that. She had found her own way along the many twisting, turning paths, and you had stayed to live out the traditions of the Seer.

A sigh escapes your lips and you open your eyes. To be honest, it was getting kind of dull just sitting here in a meditative position. The rain may help to keep your thoughts clear but, the coming storm would cease such functions the instant the lightning and thunder growled and rumbled their way across the sky. You stand up and brush down your skirt. In the time that Mom had been gone, dust had accumulated about the house. You should probably deal with that but, you'd rather leave Mom's prized vacuum alone. It was gathering just as much dust.

It was just a matter of knowing what to do with yourself now. With no point in furthering the meditation period, you might as well roam the many dark corridors of your home. That, or get something to eat. You're getting kind of hungry. Well then, food first, then you can move on to aimless wandering.

You make your way to the kitchen, listening as the rain picks up; the soothing regular beats now a surge of drumming noise. The lightning and thunder won't be much longer in coming.

The kitchen lights flicker on. You walk over to the fridge. You had been sure to prepare something for later, which was actually now. A chicken sandwich, to be exact.

You open the fridge door, feeling a rush of nostalgia at seeing the lack of snide-fueled notes from your Mother, and take your self-made sandwich from the shelf, closing the door shortly afterwards. Lightning hits as you head back over to the exit, the darkened room illuminating briefly before it falls back into the regular gloom; in that instant, you feel something that stops you dead. A sense - something off.

It falls like a veil over your vision and, for a moment, you reach out in an effort to understand it. Indescribable emotions fill you and you hear the momentary whispering of the otherworldly Horrorterrors. It's over before you can fully grasp at it, frustration wells up inside you. Quickly, you re-establish your hold over your emotions, pulling them back in to ponder secretly over the swift visionary glimpse you had just had the joy to behold. Your expression is now set into a grim line.

There was something powerful to that apparition but, it was too vague a process to thoroughly comprehend; something about mirrors. Of that, you are certain.

Contemplating it still as you walk along, you almost forget that you're holding a sandwich. You glance at it, then take a bite, your mind mulling over the dark haze and the flicker of a reflection. Blue, there had been an aura of blue.

The more you thought it over, the more things started to fit together. It was like an incredibly intricate puzzle, the minute pieces hard to place, yet an accomplishment once you set them in the right location. Still, there was an awful lot to sort out. You could not understand the grumblings of the Horrorterrors, it was a task to even pull apart a single verb within their incomprehensible language. So, there was no point in trying. However, you can focus upon the mirror and the reflection.

The cerulean colour had flashed within the confines of the glass, a figure, blurred but unmistakable – a human. The image did not sport the horns of a troll. Now, you were getting somewhere.

You walk over and sit down on the couch, munching on the sandwich as you stare into the crackling flames of the fireplace. It had been a new edition to the house for quite a while now, a… gift of sorts from Mom. Not that you care for it much but, it did prove to keep you warm during the colder months.

However, you were starting to focus on the warm temperature of the room and that was not what you were after. You needed to focus fully on the vision.

Lightning and thunder rumbled somewhere close by, your mind brought away fleetingly from your ponderings.

Blue, reflection, mirror… Of course! How could you have forgotten all about that old thing? You hop up, finishing off the rest of your sandwich before you turn away from the couch and make your way over to the stairs.

As you climb you chastise yourself quietly. That mirror had displayed some major similarities to the one featured within the apparition. If you hadn't been so distracted by the storm and the fire, you might have noticed that connection sooner. Seer training was always in effect. It was a discipline in itself to remember and complete it to its fullest.

But, such a thing was for another time, there was little point on dwelling on your mistake for much longer.

You step onto the landing, turning your head to face the direction of Mom's room. She had barely ever frequented it during the past couple of years, too often falling torpid in a slump on the couch or disappearing off somewhere to clean in her eccentric way. Which was one of the main reasons why you yourself often haunted her room, there was much to be found in this room, from the Transportalizer to the oddly misplaced mirror.

Yes, the mirror… It had come to be an odd heirloom of sorts to you and Mom. Not like your supposed guardian had ever gone into the specifics of it coming into her and your own possession.

As you open the door - the creak enough to give your position away if Mother had still been a regular visitor of the mansion - the mirror glitters abnormally in the dull light. Curious, you step closer, examining the glass and how it appeared somewhat distorted.

It had always been a fickle thing, never holding an impression of the landscape for too long in its reflection before it faded out to a metallic canvas. However, instead of displaying hills, or purple skies, it displayed a figure.

It was at first blurry, but quickly began to form itself into a more recognizable shape.

Before you had the chance to even say such silly things as Abracadabra, a boy stumbled out onto the carpet.

He lay where he fell for several moments, a goofy grin upon his features, then slowly, he got to his feet.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that this blue-adorned boy was the very person revealed to you in the vision. In fact, in the couple of seconds it took for him to stand up fully and look around, you had already processed and connected quite a large number of dots to a very specific piece of mentally conjured paper.

This boy was from the world adjacent to this one.

As he turns to look at you, his large blue eyes widening in surprise, you give him a flicker of a smile. In the instant it took for his gaze to meet yours, you had his name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, John."


	4. John: Adjust to Your New Surroundings

**Chapter IV  
**

* * *

**=John: Adjust to Your New Surroundings=  
**

* * *

This was awesome! This was absolutely, positively awesome!

It'd felt like you'd taken a trip on a rollercoaster (although you've never been on one but, you've dreamt of riding on them!) and whirled and twirled about through a bright silvery sea. It had come as a shock when you were abruptly tossed out to stumble and flop to the floor in a completely graceless fashion. Though, you felt like it was totally worth it.

You breathe in deeply and exhale loudly, waiting a few moments for your pulse to slow down. Seriously, that had been the coolest thing! It had taken your breath away and left you feeling a bit dizzy, but still! Slowly, you push yourself up into a sitting position, glancing at the white wall opposite you, then attempt to get to your feet.

Everything's kind of going on a slant but, that'll soon fade. You're sure of it.

As your eyes begin to re-adjust and you start to focus a little more on your surroundings, and less on the awesome ride here, you realize it's raining outside. No, more like storming. The room lights up and there's a boom of thunder. How you had missed that before, you don't know.

However, there's something beyond the storm and the unfamiliar room that you are now in.

There's this strong feeling that you're being watched.

You turn, your joy and wonder dissolving to make room for sudden apprehension. As your eyes meet that of purple, they grow wide.

A girl stands before you with her arms folded, staring back at you. She seemed to be smiling but, you couldn't really be sure in this dim light.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, John."

"I – uh, what?" you say, giving her a bewildered look. How does she know your name?

"You acquired a ride through the mirror, I see." Her gaze flickers from you to the mirror behind you and you end up looking back at it.

"… Yeah."

"I'm Rose Lalonde but, you may call me Rose."

You have no idea what's happening at the moment. There's a storm raging outside and you're currently having a one-sided conversation with a girl who says her name is Rose. And one that knows your name without having to ask for it, no less.

"I'm Jo-" No, idiot! She alreadys knows your name! "I mean, hi! How… do you know my name?"

"Let's just say, that an acquaintance told me your name in passing."

"Oh." Well, this was just as weird as jumping through a shimmering portally mirror thing. You are actually starting to have second thoughts of ever diving in it.

"Where… am I?" You let your gaze wander around the room momentarily, picking out a set of massive shelves set on either side of the door that looms behind Rose. There are also a couple of bottles on the counter that are jutting out from close to the right-hand shelf.

"A small-scale portion of the rest of my Mother's room or, to be more specific, my residence – the Lalonde mansion." She lets her arms drop back down to her sides, her gaze still set on you.

_This isn't all just a dream, right?_ … No, you have actually just jumped through a mirror and ended up here.

It just fully hits you now, and you don't know what to think. On one hand, this is way more exciting than being kept cooped up back inside the house but, on the other, it's bordering a bit on the strange side.

You're unsure of what to do next.

Maybe you should hurry, though. You're being stared at, and you're just standing on the spot like a dumb idiot.

"It's cramped in here," you say, the words falling from your lips before you fully realize you even said them.

"Yes, it is rather constraining in here. Perhaps we should leave." She turns and heads towards the door without a single glance back.

Well, that was… unexpected. You had thought that you'd both end up just chattering away here for some time or something. But, instead she was just walking out the door. You look back at the mirror for a moment, a brief instance of worry biting at your insides, then turn and follow after Rose.

She leads you downstairs and you find yourself taking in the surroundings of one of the most largest kind of buildings you've ever had the pleasure of stepping inside of (not that there had been that many besides your own house in the first place). From walking down a hallway, to trailing after her down the staircase; there was a lot to take in.

Art of wizards lined the walls, their colour lighting up the otherwise dull coloured spaces. As you hop down the final three steps, the paintings fall behind, replaced instead by one heck of a statue that stares impassively down at you. You shiver.

You hadn't realized it before but, it was kind of cold in here.

"You can sit by the fireplace, if you'd like to remain out of Zazzerpan's line of sight." Rose gestured over to a couch overlooking the aforementioned fireplace. You slowly sidestep out of the way of the wizard's stern gaze and head over to the couch. Immediately, the warmth hits you, and your chill begins to melt away.

As you sit down, Rose walks over to take a seat beside you. An awkward silence settles between the pair of you. You shuffle a little and lean back, your eyes on the fire.

It's cool being under the roof of someone else's house. It is even cooler to be able to talk face-to-face with someone that isn't your Dad, but you just feel like it's suddenly become… odd. Well, it had been odd in the first place. Like, how could she know your name right off the bat? It wasn't as if you and her have ever talked to one another before. Sure, she said she'd found that out from an 'associate' or whatever but, what did that even mean? Did someone else magically know about you from the start?

It wasn't as if you had many connections outside of the family. Dad was the only one to know your name and, maybe a couple of his friends too. … Had Dad or his friends told her about you?

No, that was ridiculous! She was on the opposite side of your mirror, right?

… That sounded pretty damn cool, actually.

"So, if you don't mind me asking; how did you find entrance to our realm?" Rose asked, turning to look at you.

"There was something odd in the reflection, so I poked it and the mirror did this shimmery thing. Then I jumped right on through." You are starting to get all excited again just talking about it. You flash a grin at Rose. "It was pretty cool. I mean, how often do you stumble across something like that?"

"Not often," Rose replied. "It is an incredibly rare occurance." She rests her hands upon her lap, her expression hard to read.

The storm is still howling away outside. It makes you wonder how long it has been going on for. To be honest, it adds a certain dark factor to the house. It looks like it is a regular thing here.

"It seems almost as if you were drawn to this place," Rose says in a quiet tone, cutting through your thoughts.

"What?" you say, shifting in your seat a little to look fully at her. Drawn to this place? "No, not really. There was just this option available out of staying and pranking my Dad, or going and investigating something new."

She shook her head but, remained silent.

She's weird.

Although, everything here seems kind of weird anyway. Who would want statues of wizards staring you down while you're munching on your breakfast in the morning? You definitely wouldn't. You already have enough stuff like that back at home with the harle-clown paintings.

"So, what's this place called?" you ask, swinging your legs.

"Gabrium," she replies. "It is similar in some aspects to the land that you originated from. Your whole world in fact, although there are… some differences."

Surprised, you shoot her a quizzical look. "How do you know about my world?"

Rose straightens a little, her hands still politely clasped in her lap. "I have seen it occasionally through your mirror's counterpart. It has a tendency to reveal that which transpires within other dimensions."

"Oh."

Dimensions, worlds… Wow, this was getting more and more cool as it went on! You are getting way too over-excited over the whole idea of this but, you don't care! You might have had your doubts before but this was now absolutely, positively awesome! Besides, the trip here was fun! Wouldn't that mean that this whole world will be fun to be in, too?

"So, your side of the mirror has a magicky power?" That's so sweet!

"In a sense. It was imbued with such qualities upon its creation. Although, that is debatable in itself, as it was brought into the possession of my household without the knowledge of such."

A flash of thunder lights up the inside of the house and, for a moment, it shos everything within the room in a brand new light. Then it's gone again, as quickly as it had come.

"This storm is relatively worse than the previous ones," Rose said, turning to look out of the window.

You take a look too, seeing a gloomy collection of trees and thick grass that sway in the breeze. It's too dark to tell exactly, but you're almost completely certain that those trees don't look like the regular kind of green. In fact, they don't look green at all, they look blue, or it could just be that your mind is playing tricks on you.

You blink and stare at them harder, squinting a little to try to discern whether what you're seeing is actually what you think you're seeing. Then your focus is pulled away by Rose, who stands up and glances once more to the window with a thoughtful expression before she turns away, looking instead to you.

"You said that you wish to investigate this world, correct?"

You nod enthusiastically. Yes, definitely yes.

"Then, I will show you. But, first, rest a while. I'm sure that trip through the mirror wasn't the most simple of feats."

You grin, joyful that she would even consider doing such a thing on your behalf. "That would be… awesome! Thanks!"

She nods, and you notice that she gives you a glimmer of a smile. "In the meantime, would you like something to drink?"


	5. Dave: Find the Seer

**Chapter V  
**

* * *

**=Dave: Find the Seer****=  
**

* * *

Shit, somehow you'd fallen asleep and now you were soaked through.

Sure, it was now dark enough to make even a zebra look like the stealthiest and sneakiest of ninjas but, you hadn't exactly wished for the storm.

In fact, you hadn't wanted it at all.

This would put a dampener on your plans… Pun unintended.

You sigh, glancing to the weapon you hold so tightly in your grasp.

It was as if your hold on it was on automatic. Anytime that you had ended up falling deep into slumberland, Caledscratch would just pop up within your hands, acting as your metallic, silver teddy bear during your unconscious ball through sleepsville.

You set it back in your strife deck, your mind already twirling through the motions of your daring adventure across the field.

So far, you have gotten nowhere in your quest for knowledge. But, that would soon change.

Once or twice you have actually contemplated going to ask the Denizens your barrage of questions but, obviously, if you did choose to go through with it, they would either snore on through them, or turn you into nothing more than a pile of ash adorned with shades.

No, you would need to find out what you sought from a witch, or maybe a Seer. Although, being as they were, it wouldn't be an easy feat in getting information out of them.

Stretching, you get to your feet, glancing about for any sign of possible adversaries before you commence in your fantastical journey once again.

The crystallized grass crunches beneath your feet, the remnants humming as they flicker to life; their glow illuminating the path behind you as you walk. If only they glowed naturally without having the need of being trampled on beforehand, then they'd prove quite useful throughout your forest trek.

Not that they would forever be a constant part of your wonderful surroundings. They cease to exist as soon as you step out from the crystal foliage and out onto the dusty path, free from the screeching buzzards that had been patrolling the sky those many hours before. The air is rife with the smell of fresh grass. A change from the mustiness that seems to spread upwards and outwards in the evening, probably a gift from the winged demons in their swooping endeavours.

Hills loom up from the horizon, shaded purple in the dimness. The land a wide expanse of looping, or winding lanes; pockmarked with worn-down statues and old forgotten buildings in the distance.

You already have your choices mapped out. The paths on a course through the landscape, leading to a variety of different areas.

You contemplate meandering your way along the lane leading to your half-sister's, but if you did stop at hers and asked her for answers, she'd simply give you some stupid prophetic response. Probably more than likely peppered with riddles that would take far longer to decipher than was necessary.

No, there was definitely no point in visiting her. What would you gain from it anyway? Nothing more than aching legs and the opportunity of being beaten down by one of those giclops, not that they would have the chance. They were so damned slow that you doubted if they could even understand how to raise their arm and pick their nose.

The slightly more treacherous road that winds through a rugged, rock-filled area, seems more of a liable option at this point. It leads to the trolls territory but, you're pretty damn sure that with your ninja capabilities they wouldn't even know that you were there. But, wait, wasn't one of the trolls a Seer?

You'd spoken to her once – a long, long time ago. Back when things were a little more simpler.

Wasn't she raised by a dragon, or something? You can't really remember.

Well, your internal chattering's proven to be useful, for once. Nah, who're you kidding? It's useful all the time. It's never let you down yet.

Well, except for that one time… And that other time with that two-headed crocodile…

No, you won't think about them. Those were just occasions when you'd been a bit off. Nothing too spectacularly bad. Although, on those occasions, your Bro had saved your ass.

Not like he was here now.

Not like you needed him anyway.

Things have been going swimmingly for some time. You aren't just gonna turn around and stop now.

You find yourself heaving a sigh and coming to a stop. You need to think this through if you're going to make your way across those mountains.

First order of business, remember that not all of the trolls have made their home up there. Some of them could be living in a cozy little village far away from the rough terrain. Not that you'd seen that many leave their tough life to eke out a living elsewhere; not like you've seen that many in the past three years.

That would mean that the troll Seer could very well be somewhere else. She could have found out just how crappy and boring it was to live as a mountain troll, with their odd grumpy habits and secretive ways. Perhaps she'd set up camp elsewhere, building a hidden base that would leave anyone scratching their heads and struggling - in their attempts - to find the concealed location.

Well, there was always the chance that she was still there. You had heard nothing of trolls deciding to live outside of their community, being as close-knit as they were. Maybe she was still there.

That was enough to hope for, enough to make it a true decision to waltz along through the craggy landscape and into the depths of their lair.

The field of dark purple-blue stretches out before you, the silhouettes of occasional rocks and shrubs jutting out from the expanse ahead.

You begin the ascent at a quickened pace. It was best to get there in quick-time. The night wouldn't last forever.

Soon, the rustle of grass beneath your feet gives way to the crunch of pebbles and dirt. Sharp rocks jut out from the ground, some veering so close to the path that you have to step over them in your climb. Hiking up the slope is not too difficult, although it does slow you down a bit.

The atmosphere begins to crowd with a dusty odour, emitted from the land itself. A shiver runs up your spine.

You're being watched.

Your blade is within your grip with a mutter of a word. You hold it close to your side. Even around here the imps run wild. With the feeling of a thousand gazes upon you; you're not taking any chances.

From above grit skitters down, some of the small pieces falling down to land in your hair. You run a hand through it, dislodging the gravel, and glance around. You can't see any sign of the bastards, but you can hear them. The clack of claws against the earth echoing back towards you.

They were like an infection, reaching out to every single location and every living thing.

The further up you climb, the further their movements echo. They're surrounding you, you know it.

It wasn't as if they could win. Even in a group they were weak. Just as long as there weren't any of those damn basilisks around, you'd be fine.

A twinge of pain snakes its way up your spine and you wince. No, you won't stop. You're not stopping anytime soon.

Your grip on your blade tightens.

Ahead the trail branches out into three segments. You stop, examining each in turn. The path you'll need is the one most travelled, or so your common sense is telling you. Though, the trolls could probably navigate the small outcrops of their terrain no problem. You pause to think, your gaze roving over each of the pathways in turn.

… Fuck it, you'll just try your luck. It wasn't as if it would leave you completely screwed over if you choose wrong anyway. Just a quick rush back, march your way down another one of the paths and you'd be fine.

The screech of an imp catches you off guard and you turn, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. In a second, one of the tiny bastards goes whizzing past your head with a shriek. It lands heavily, twitching and moaning before it falls silent.

"What…?" you say, raising a brow at the thing.

Flying imps? That was new.

Curious, you head in the direction it had flown from, the sound of snarls and cries loudly hovering in the air.

As you turn the corner, a small imp charges toward you. You lift Caledscratch and aim down low, slicing through its stomach and sending it silently rolling backwards.

A cackle sounds ahead and you turn to look, your shaded gaze fixing on that of a blindfolded, grinning troll. "Not bad, Cherry Kid!"

… Cherry kid?

"Mind helping me bring these criminals to justice?" Her grin widens.

You shrug, kicking the fallen imp out of the way and head over to the troll, moving to avoid incoming attacks from more of the small menaces as you do. As you lift your blade up to deflect a score of sharp talons, the horned girl moves to stand behind you, her back to yours. You hear the swish of air, a slight gust of wind, and another of the imps are sent bowling backwards with a squeal. You react quickly as another of the creatures lunges toward you. You slash at it, forcing it back before it can respond in turn.

You and her switch sides as more of the imps race in snarling. They lash out and you respond with a boot to the face of the nearest and a low swipe of your blade. You can hear the clash of the troll's weapon against claws, then the screech of her fallen enemies as they hit the floor.

Soon, gathered all around you, was a pile of unconscious imps. It was like a small field of liquorice, equipped with an arsenal of killing tools that were still quite liable to chomp down on your leg and force you down into a sea of madness and confectionary; if you didn't watch your step.

Stepping over the prone forms, you look back to see the troll easily making her own way through the ocean of criminals.

She's still grinning as she looks at you, although you couldn't exactly call it looking, more like seeing right through you, or something.

"So, what's a sweet smelling human like you doing so far up here?" she asks, stopping close to you.

Smelling...? Huh, now that wasn't the weirdest thing you'd heard all day. "Looking for answers and seeking out the magical hiking boots - that rest on the tippity top of these mountains - that I've heard so much about," you say.

"Hiking boots?" She pulls a face. "They don't sound like they'd smell very nice."

"Well, that's the thing. They have this distinguishing odour that's actually very appealing. It seeps out like smoke and sends out a smell that reminds anyone close by of the thing they love the most."

She laughs, the sound grating on the air, then grins. "That better come in the delicious scent of red, then."

"I assure you, it does." You smirk.

"So," she continues, the folds of the cloth that binds the upper part of her face creasing as she scrutinizes you, "what is the true reason behind you coming here? Are you going to tell me the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or must I pull it from your mind myself in a conclusive interrogation?"

You raise a hand and place it against your chest, shifting your blade back into the strife deck to lift your other hand in a solemn pledge. "I will officially tell you the truth and nothing but the truth, else I be trampled on by mammoths and hurled into the sea of time to be frozen for all eternity."

She nods, her grin returning with a vengeance. In a matter of moments, the small blade that she had been brandishing (without you even noticing it was even there, too focused on the blindfold the troll wore and the conversation at hand) was placed back into its cane-like sheath, twirled about and stabbed into the ground to be leaned against; one hand landing to rest on the oddly designed head of the object.

"I'm in search of a Seer," you say. "I'm hoping to find some answers to a few questions. My treacherous journey in search of the information I seek has come up with nothing so far, so I decided to scour this dark land for someone with a vast amount of the knowledge that I'm after."

The troll had been silent throughout, although you were sure that she had shot you a surprised, if intrigued look the instant that you had mentioned your search for an aforementioned Seer. She stayed quiet for a few moments longer, her lips turning downward in thought.

"Then you've found her," she says with a vague wave and a quiet chuckle. "... I thought I recognized your scent from somewhere... You're that human boy that visited me a long time ago, right?"

Confused for a moment, you pause to look at her more closely. She did look familiar... "You have a dragon for a... whatchamacallit? ... A lusus, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, but she's long flown from the nest; off doing her own thing, I suppose." She shrugs. "I'm Terezi, by the way. I can't recall your name, so I'm pretty much certain that you don't know mine."

"Mine's Dave. Though, I prefer more natural-sounding nicknames, such as Coolkid."

She flashes you another fanged grin. "Then, Cherry-Coolkid it is."

You slip your hands into your trouser pockets. "So, what say you and I blow this joint before any of our pile of unconscious friends decide to wake up?"

"Agreed. Although, I wouldn't be against bashing them up all over again." Terezi cackled, casually moving to walk alongside you, her cane dully thumping rhythmically upon the rocky ground in time with every second step that the pair of you took.

"... You up for a Q and A?" you ask, turning to look at her.

"Certainly," she says, dipping her head once, her fanged grin still prominent. "Undulge me in your plethora of problem scented questions."

"Okay, then." You clap your hands together, then shove them back away into your pockets."What do you know about hexes?"


	6. John: Begin Your New Adventure!

The couch was a wondrous thing. Incredibly comfy and sly in the way that it had coaxed you into sleeping on it. When your eyes snap open blearily, you realize that it had succeeded. You lie stretched out on the couch, a blanket wrapped around you. You are sure that it hadn't been there earlier.

Slowly, you sit up, your vision blurry. For a moment you wonder why, then realize that your glasses must've been removed in your sleep.

Seeing something that looked like a small coffee table to your left, you shuffle closer and reach forward, finding your fingers brush against cold metal and glass. Taking hold of it, you flick open the arms of what you're certain are your glasses and fit them in place on the bridge of your nose.

Your surroundings are instantly defined, and you are now sure that what you took for a coffee table is - in fact - a coffee table.

With a stretch, you look around.

Everything seems much the same as yesterday. There's the fireplace; now simply reduced to a small crackling flame in the middle of a bunch of burnt away logs. There's that weird wizard statue, and there's the mansion itself. You are still finding it a little hard to grasp. Everything up until now seems so unreal. It's as if you have just dreamt this whole thing up, and yet you know that you haven't.

"I mean, it's all right before my eyes," you mutter aloud. It echoes off of the walls and bounces back to you, and you glance around again. Where was Rose? Had she gone to bed?

… Well, she probably has. You did nod off after all. It wasn't as if she'd stand around waiting for you to get up again.

Pushing the blankets away, you get to your feet. Maybe you could have a nosy around. Would she mind? You don't think so, although you can't really be too sure…

Without realizing it, you've shuffled closer to the wizard. You catch yourself in the act, your hand reaching out to poke at the wizard's ruffled robes. Though, after staring at your hand for a moment, then back to the statue, you do it anyway.

Nothing happens.

It's just a plain old statue.

Though, what did you expect? That it would suddenly come to a life and do a jig? Actually… that would be kind of awesome. Heck, remove that 'kind of' and kick it away; it _would_ be awesome.

You are pretty much certain that stuff like that can happen anyway. This world sure seems different from your own. Well, from what you've actually seen of it so far.

You stare up at the horrible grimacing face of the wizard. "It looks like he's in the middle of having a-"

"Good morning!"

With a squeak, you violently jump and turn around.

A black cat is sat in front of you.

"Um…?" What was that? That hadn't sounded like Rose…

"Are you a visitor?" The cat tilts its head. No, his head. His voice sounds like a guy's.

Wait, his **voice**?!

He can talk?!

"You're a talking… cat," you say. It comes out more high-pitched than you would've liked.

"Yes, I am!" he replies in a proud manner. "And you're a talking person!"

"Uh, yeeeah…"

"I'm Jaspers! What's your name?"

"… John," you manage to say.

Jaspers flicks the tip of his tail and you swear he's just smiled at you. "It's nice to meet you John! I hope we can go fishing some time."

"Yeah, that would be… nice?" You don't really know what else to say. You're having a casual conversation with a cat.

Jaspers turns, his little smiling face pointing in the direction of the stairs. He flicks his ears. "I think Rose is coming. I hope she'll feed me! I'm hungry." And with that, Jaspers stood up and trotted over to the staircase, then parked his butt back down, and proceeded to stare up them with a kinked tail.

Sure enough, as you stare open mouthed over at the cat, Rose appeared, walking down the stairs. She paused when she saw Jaspers and glances over at you, then back to Jaspers again. "I see you two have become acquainted."

"Yes!" Jaspers happily replies. "We should all go fishing together!"

"Later Jaspers," Rose says. Stepping past the cat, she walks over to you. "After we have had breakfast, we'll leave."

You nod, although it's like it's on automatic. You're still watching Jaspers.

He mews and rushes over to brush against Rose's legs. "I'm hungry, Rose! Can I have some tuna?"

She glances down at him. "I'll have to check to see if we still have any in stock."

"Okay, that's fine! I'll sit here and wait." He proceeded to do just that; curling his tail around his paws.

Rose turns away, and then pauses a moment to look back at you. "I should have some cereal. If you'd like to accompany me into the kitchen you can help in sorting out our morning banquet."

"Uh, sure," you say, following after her. Cereal's way better than cake!

It takes only a few minutes for the pair of you to find everything that you need, and soon you're sat eating cereal at a fancy pine table in the dining room.

Jaspers happily munched away on his fish close by.

The time flashed by quickly; in a quiet kind of way. Soon you and Rose were cleaning up and saying your goodbyes to Jaspers (you still can't get over the fact that he talks! That is so cool! Yet kind of surreal too.).

"Now," Rose began, as the pair of you headed out of the living room, "I'll be escorting you across our lake via boat. It shouldn't be a long trip, although last night's deluge may have summoned a few… difficulties. However, they will pose no problems for the two of us."

"Difficulties?" That didn't sound too good.

She shakes her head. "Nothing that you should concern yourself about. I will provide us with full protection on board the boat."

Curiosity wells up inside you. "What kind of protection?"

"A barrier, of sorts."

"A… barrier? You mean like a magical one? Oh man! That's awesome!"

The left side of her lips quirks upwards in something resembling a small smile. "Something like that."

* * *

It turned out that the barrier was an invisible forcefield thingy that encircled the entire boat.

As soon as you and Rose had hopped in it, she had stood up and proceeded to mutter a few incomprehensible words, and then there was a shimmer of something invisible all around you.

You reach out, your fingers immediately brushing against something that feels a lot like a real and very solid wall. You knock on it and a faint line of silver arcs across the invisible barrier. It vanishes moments later. It's pretty cool.

Thinking back to yesterday's weather, you glance towards the sky. It looks clear, if somewhat greyer than normal. Should you be worried about that?

"Is that normal?" you ask, pointing up at the drab sky.

Rose looks up and hums quietly in thought. "That usually occurs after a storm, it's not unusual. However it is unusual for there to be a lack of light rain. Commonly you can expect at least a light shower around here."

You continue to study the sky for a moment before shrugging and settling down in your seat.

The boat itself is a medium sized thing; cream white with bench-like seats. Not the most comfortable of things in the world to park your butt on, but they'd do. There's no point in complaining. You'll be starting your exploration soon, after all!

Removing the anchor from its place and bringing it aboard, Rose sat down gracefully beside you.

Before you could bring up the question as to whether this boat was run by magic or not, Rose turns away and tugs on the string of the motor. It loudly purrs to life.

Oh well, that answered that question.

You didn't really notice it before, or had taken it in.

The boat lurched away from the pier, sweeping through the water and leaving Rose's large mansion behind it.

You shoot a quizzical glance over at Rose, wondering if it was by her hands that the boat was being so unnoticeably driven. Although she gives you no indication that she's noticed your meaningful look.

'_Probably magic,' _you think to yourself.

Everything seemed to be filled with magic here. It was like something out of a fairy-tale, oorrr maybe it's just that you're thinking that you're seeing an awful lot of magic when there is none. … Nope, there's definitely magicky stuff going on. What with the portally side of the mirror, the fact that there's now a barrier around you and Rose, and the self-moving boat; it's so obvious that you are now a part of something magical.

… You're finding it a little hard to sit still.

You lean down to look at the water, catching your reflection staring back at you. It brings back memories of just before you'd leapt through the mirror and you pull back, briefly thinking over how everything could have been so different if you hadn't even found it, or ninja'd out of your room.

It was kind of funny, really.

The boat is moving pretty fast, enough to pick the breeze up and send it whooshing over you. It's getting kind of chilly. Well, it was already chilly the instant you'd stepped out of the house but, it feels colder now. It's probably just to do with the wind.

The water stretches out ahead of you like snow layering the ground on a Winter's day. Far off in the distance you are sure that you can just make out sillhouettes of something that look like trees. … You're already wanting to be over there; walking around and seeing what new and cool stuff will be waiting for you on the other side.

But, it looks like it'll take a while.

… You wish you'd brought along a game or a book or something to pass the time.

You are pretty sure that it's getting much colder now. Maybe the pair of you should've brought jackets along, or something.

"It is not this cold ordinarily," Rose says, breaking the silence.

You wrap your arms around yourself in an effort to keep warm.

Rose frowns, glancing out over the water. "… Something's wrong."

A metallic, screeching noise, like a blade slammed against a blade, cuts through the last of her words, followed by the sudden pattering sound of rain.

Fear trickles down your spine and you find yourself staring wide-eyed over the side of the boat.

"This isn't good." You faintly hear Rose's voice over the repeated, ear-aching shriek and the increasing hiss of falling rain.

Numbly, you think over how the barrier is a little like a raincoat; keeping you safe from getting damp. And then Rose gets quickly to her feet, and you're faintly aware of the fact that her hands are glowing.

Something immense and monstrous bursts out from the water with an inhuman wail. You scramble back against the opposite side of the boat in a futile attempt to get as far away from the hellish thing as possible.

A gaping mouth and dark scales that are slowly lifting outwards from the sides of some kind of serpentine body is the only thing that you can really make out.

Shock washes over you, swiftly followed by panic and fear. "Oh god, oh god, oh god…" Are you saying that? You don't even know anymore. This has just become like something fresh out of a nightmare.

With a flash, Rose now is in possession of what looks to be a pair of needles, and she's pointing them right at the beast.

It rumbles out a growl and empties a breath over the barrier, leaving brief veins of silver in the aftermath. Without pause, the thing smashes its head against the barrier. The transparent shield trembles in the aftermath; the beast smashes against it again.

Again and again it does this, then it stops, the rising storm and its hissing breaths the only sounds to be heard.

You feel as if it's watching you. Watching you both. Sizing the pair of you up, and you're frightened. Incredibly so.

You hug your arms tightly about your chest, staring up at the thing.

Rose is still standing with her eyes on the creature, her expression grim.

"This barrier… it won't hold for much longer," she says, just loud enough to be heard over the non-stop noise.

With your gaze flickering between her and the monster, you carefully stand up and approach Rose. "What… can we do?" you ask.

"Nothing."

Your eyes widen and you glance back up at the monster. Shit, this isn't good… Not good at all. Why did you even agree to this? Why did you even go through the mirror? Maybe it would have been better if you'd never come here in the first place.

Without warning, the monster slams against the barrier again, repeatedly. The boom of each strike echoes down to you and you feel as the fear sweeps up to take you down with it. This is bad. This is so bad!

A crack appears in the barrier and Rose shifts slightly, raising one of her needles higher than the other. As the monster's snout breaks through the fissure, Rose's needles light up. A beam of glowing purple burst out from the tips, striking the monster and sending it writhing back in pain.

Your chest and stomach is now flooding with panic, fear and the smallest flicker of relief. Maybe you'll be able to beat this thing, scare it off with whatever that beam of purple light is.

The monster screeches and turns to lunge for the boat, its rows of teeth the only thing that really has your attention.

It's the most fucking creepiest thing you've ever seen!

Rose sends another blast of light it's way and you duck as, out of the corner of your eye, you see a shard of the shattered barrier fall way too closely in your direction.

The boat begins to rock as the monster thrashes in the water, and then pulls back.

Hope washes over you and you straighten up. Is it leaving?

Then the thing tilts its head upwards and releases an alien howl.

The rain picks up even more, the sky turns dark and lightning and thunder crashes overhead. Before you have even the slightest chance to crouch or flop to the floor, the boat rocks violently and you're suddenly teetering over the edge.

A wave of horror sends your heart leaping up into your throat.

In those brief few seconds you glimpse the waves below being ripped apart by a rapidly growing whirlpool.

You hear Rose's muffled shouts and feel the brush of a hand against your arm, then suddenly, you're falling.

A roar, the feeling of ice-cold air all around you, and a horrifying image of a gaping hole below you.

And then… darkness consumes you.


End file.
